


The Wind Is Changing

by VampireNaomi



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Banter, Hand Jobs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 10:03:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampireNaomi/pseuds/VampireNaomi
Summary: Mexico was the last time.





	The Wind Is Changing

**Author's Note:**

> This picks up in the flashback in which Lupin saved Albert's life in Mexico in episode 10.

For a while, neither of them moved. Both stared at the fallen temple guardian between them, dead after Lupin’s shot. Good thing mythological beings were just as vulnerable to bullets as humans, he figured and put his gun away.

Albert still had his eyes fixed on the jaguar as Lupin began approaching. The hand clutching the medallion was shaking, and he didn’t put up a fight when Lupin simply grabbed it from him and brought it closer for inspection.

“All this hassle just for this? Well, the journey’s more important than the destination, as they say!”

“Lupin,” Albert squeaked and finally turned his eyes to him. His voice held none of the arrogance with which he’d said goodbye to him two hours earlier, having tricked him into driving into a ditch so that he could get the treasure alone.

“Lucky you that I got here just in time,” Lupin said. He thought about rubbing it in properly because, fuck, he’d walked the rest of the way to the temple and had mud up to his knees and leeches in his shoes. All because Albert had decided that teamwork wasn’t on the table today and that he didn’t want to share. He was the one who hadn’t wanted to do this job when Lupin had first suggested it, and then he’d gone solo when it best suited him. What a dick.

But then he noticed the way Albert was trembling on the ground, and he couldn’t help but feel a little bad. He’d gotten in over his head again. He started half their adventures whining that he didn’t feel like it and that it wasn’t worth the risk, then got excited when the loot was within sight and rushed into things without thinking.

Lupin sighed dramatically and offered Albert his hand to pull him up. “Where would you be if I wasn’t there to save your ass all the time?”

“Are you sure that thing’s really dead?” Albert asked.

“One way to find out,” Lupin said and made a move to walk over and kick the guardian, but Albert grabbed his arms and stopped him.

“Don’t touch it! It could… come back into life!”

“Freaked you out that much, huh?”

“Don’t make fun of me! I almost died! All because you insisted that we do this job!”

Lupin pursed his lips and gave Albert the most disapproving look he could manage, which wasn’t all that much since he could never stay mad at him for long.

“You have a lot of nerve blaming me after you backstabbed me to have all the loot,” he said.

“And _you_ have a lot of nerve blaming me for that! Do you think I didn’t hear how you told that village girl that you’d let her have the medallion? I didn’t come all the way here to sweat and get covered in mosquito bites just so you can hand over the treasure to the first pretty face you see!”

Oh, right. Lupin had already forgotten all about that. Not about her lovely dark eyes and hair and curves, but telling her about the medallion.That had been just empty flirting that hadn’t led anywhere. He did that everywhere he went, and by now Albert should have gotten used to it.

“You’re wrong,” he said and smiled.

“Oh, yeah? About what?”

“She’s not the first pretty face I saw in Mexico. You are.”

The annoyed sound that left Albert’s throat was exactly what Lupin wanted to hear. It told him that he was getting over the shock of almost being cut in half and would be able to walk out of the temple on his own feet. Not that Lupin would have minded having him lean on him. He was having fun rubbing it to Albert’s face how he’d saved him just in time, but that one detail - _just in time_ \- was beginning to drive the amusement away.

If he’d gotten here just a couple of seconds later, there would have been a gory mess waiting for him. Albert could be a pain in the ass, but the thought of his body in pieces made the ground waver under Lupin’s feet.

Albert had already let go of him and was turning away, but Lupin grabbed him and pulled him into his arms.

“Hey! What -”

Lupin silenced his surprised protest with a kiss, and it took barely a moment before Albert responded and leaned into him. It was hasty and clumsy and uncoordinated, but that was fine. Lupin only wanted a physical confirmation that Albert was really there, as warm as he remembered, and still breathing. He grabbed Albert’s hair with both hands to keep his head still so he could guide his mouth open with his tongue and push in, and Albert’s reaction was a satisfied sound at the back of his throat.

When they parted, Lupin said, “We’re much better as a team. Don’t pull dumb stunts like that again.”

“I do what I want,” Albert said and bit Lupin on the nose.

“Oh, yeah? Me too.” Lupin dropped his hands down to Albert’s belt and began to fumble with it. His fingers were fast and nimble enough to get it off in a few seconds, but he liked the clink of the buckle and the anticipation of not having anything in his hands yet. Even more, he enjoyed how Albert dove in for another kiss to urge him on and wriggled his hips to make it easier for Lupin to pull his pants to his knees.

The next thing that was being pulled down was Lupin himself. Albert grabbed the lapels of his jacket and dragged him to the ground with the weight of his body. Lupin was already pawing him through his underwear, and he wanted to think that the sudden buckling of his legs wasn’t entirely voluntary.

“Albert,” he sighed into his mouth and ran his thumb down between his legs. “Albert, listen.”

“What?” He sounded annoyed that he was forced to stop sucking on Lupin’s lips long enough to let him talk. And sure, it was a shame, but Lupin wanted to say this more than he wanted to kiss him. He used this chance to take off Albert’s shades and set them aside so he could stare into his eyes.

“You gave me a big scare just now.”

“You? I’m the one who almost got chopped in half.”

“And that would have left me to clean the mess!” Lupin grabbed Albert’s hardening cock and squeezed, earning a startled yelp and hands digging into his shoulders. Before he could push him away, Lupin slipped a hand inside his underwear for gentler treatment. “That’s one thing I never want to do.”

“Sounds an awful lot like you’re putting too much heart into your job.”

“Dumbass,” Lupin muttered and moved in to nibble at Albert’s earlobe. Wasn’t it obvious that he cared? If the idiot didn’t get it, he wasn’t going to spell it out for him, at least in words. He’d make sure he felt it, though.

Albert let out a breathy chuckle and reached down to unbuckle Lupin’s belt. His movements were precise and quick, as always, and seconds later, he was trying to tug Lupin’s pants down. 

He wasn’t having much success until Lupin rose to his knees to let him. He hadn’t really gotten in the mood yet, but Albert barely had to touch him to get him hard. He was always making fun of him for that, saying he had Pavlov’s dick because stripping down to his underwear was all the foreplay he ever needed.

“No, I get you what you mean,” Albert said and grabbed the base of Lupin’s cock with his hand, just holding it for a moment. The pressure made Lupin almost forget he had his hands full, too. He ran his fingers down the length so he could play with the tip because he knew Albert liked that.

“Then why are you so insufferable all the time?” he asked, and kissed him so Albert couldn’t answer right away.

“Because I love - ahh! Shit, spit into your hand or something if you’re going to be that rough!” Albert squirmed to ease Lupin’s hold on him, and he figured he should go a bit slower since they were doing this without lube. Maybe it would have been better if they used their mouths, but with so many days’ grime on them both, Lupin quickly buried that idea.

“It’s because I love getting you riled up. It takes so little effort, and it’s always a show,” Albert went on, and while it wasn’t quite what Lupin wanted to hear, he couldn’t help but grin.

“Me, too.”

Lupin bucked his hips into Albert’s hand to tell him he wanted him to start moving, even as he knew that it might just make him wait a little longer. He was such damn tease. But it turned out he was in a generous mood and spread his fingers as wide as he could and rubbed his palm down Lupin’s cock. Lupin groaned with the burn of the friction, but it wasn’t long until it got a little better when Albert’s hand became slicker with his precum. And something about just _doing_ it even if it was uncomfortable aroused him even more. He just wanted Albert, and the how didn’t matter.

He hummed against Albert’s neck in appreciation as his movements grew faster, every long drag and brush and push of his fingers sending happy, warm jolts down his body. He had to fight with himself not to grind into that touch for more, to urge him to go faster. It was a while since someone else had worked on him, and he didn’t want it to end yet.

And to be honest, he liked getting Albert worked up just as much. He was always such a smug jackass, but look at him now, shaking in his arms as Lupin stroked him, his length hard and hot in his hands, and greedy, happy sounds coming out of that mouth that usually just talked shit.

His eyes caught the dead jaguar warrior that was still lying on the ground.

“Hey, Albert?”

“Yeah?”

“Imagine if that thing came back to life now and we had to make a run for it.”

The hysterical chortle that left Albert was half a moan. “I bet it’s nothing new to you.”

“What?”

“Running for your life with your dick up. Didn’t that happen in Minsk when you seduced that mafia goon’s girlfriend and then he -”

Lupin shut him up with a kiss that left little room for counter arguments. When Albert tried to break apart and remind him how he’d run two blocks to his car, only to realize that he’d left his key in the pocket of his pants, which were still on the floor by the woman’s bed, he kissed him again, this time biting into his lip to make it clear that talking about this was not what he wanted to do.

Albert bit him back, and that combined with an abrupt increase in his tempo made Lupin grow rigid and tore a long moan from his throat. The hand on his cock slowed down but didn’t stop, and while the friction against his overstimulated nerves came with some discomfort, Lupin couldn’t help but move his hips to welcome it.

Dammit, he thought through the content haze, he’d wanted to make Albert come first. Oh, well, a man couldn’t win them all. At least now he could focus entirely on every twitch on his face, his reddened cheeks, and rapid breathing as he brought him closer. He loved being the one to untangle him like that, loved having him warm and throbbing in his hands, loved knowing that for this moment at least, he was completely his.

“I wonder what you’d do if I stopped and left you hanging,” he said, grinning, and ceased all movement.

“H-hey,” Albert protested, and Lupin drank in the distressed look in his eyes. He kissed those bruising lips one more time, knowing that making him say please would just be asking for the obvious, and returned his attention to his cock. The satisfaction he got when Albert threw himself against him and released himself in his hands made the pleasant glow of his own peak from earlier even more gratifying.

“How about that?” Lupin asked.

“Ehh, it was okay.”

“Fuck you, ”Lupin said and wiped his hands on Albert’s precious coat. The other was in such a mellow mood that he didn’t even protest, or maybe he didn’t notice.

They remained on the ground for a little longer, catching their breath. Lupin found himself thinking about how absurd the situation would look like to anyone who knew about the game they were supposed to play. The older generation of thieves, forgers and other swindlers who were overseeing their battle to claim the legendary title had wanted them to be rivals. They were meant to have just enough mutual respect to urge them both to go beyond their limits until one proved victorious. 

For Lupin, it had been a matter of honor at first. Having been born into the family didn’t mean anything if one didn’t have the skills. The title had to be earned. Much to his annoyance, Albert often outsmarted him with seemingly half the effort. It had forced him out of his comfort zone and made him plan better and bigger, take more risks, but also bring in more loot and succeed in antics beyond his age and experience.

Albert hadn’t been far behind, and sometimes he pulled off something that gave him a clear advantage. Lupin had been beside himself with rage. Some upstart had no right to be that good. He’d made prank calls, sent Albert embarrassing gifts, and made fun of anything that might sting whenever they came face to face.

“Screw the old guys figuratively and me literally,” Albert had said one time after listening to Lupin’s rant about how he’d be the one to win the jury’s favor. It had left Lupin speechless, which didn’t happen often, and he’d just run away, humiliated. After mulling it over through the night, he’d come back the following day to find the offer had been genuine.

After that, they’d teamed up for a couple of jobs, then a few more until Lupin found himself wondering why he’d ever thought Albert was a nuisance he couldn’t wait to squash like a mosquito. It was more fun to work with him than against him. To hell with the old farts who wanted to see someone claim the famous title for the first time in generations. It was exciting to go against something that he’d been told was his destiny since an early age.

He was pretty sure he was a tiny bit in love, but nobody needed to know that.

“We should get back,” he said and got up. He pocketed the medallion after a quick glance to memorize the carvings on it. He’d have to make a copy as soon as possible because Albert was sure to try to grab it back. The job was far from over.

The temple ruins were located deep in the jungle, but there was a path that the locals used nearby. Albert had left his jeep there and was feeling generous enough to give Lupin a ride. Maybe he’d even help him get his car out of the ditch he’d left it in, but if not, Lupin had a few tricks up his sleeve.

However, when they reached the correct spot, there was no car there. At first, Lupin thought someone had stolen it, but then he realized that what he’d thought was a ditch full of mud was actually a bottomless pit. His car had sunk into it.

“Shit, that could have ended badly,” he said.

“I knew you wouldn’t go down with it.”

Lupin turned to stare at Albert with incredulous eyes. “You mean, you knew what that is, and still made me drive into it?”

Albert shrugged, like his previous comment was all the excuse he needed. Lupin pursed his lips in annoyance and swore to himself that he’d have his revenge somehow. At the very least, he wouldn’t share the loot. 

“We should stop here,” he said after they’d been driving a while longer.

“Why?” Albert asked and gave him a doubtful look.

“If we walk about ten minutes that way, there’s water. I haven’t taken a bath in a week, and if the way you smell is any indication, neither have you. Nobody will rent us a room if we go to the village like this.”

Albert protested most of Lupin’s ideas, but it was clear he was itching to get clean. He stopped the car without a word and waited as Lupin began to dig through his supplies on the backseat. 

“What are you looking for?”

“Some kind of a pot.”

“Why?”

“There’s a plant that grows around here. If we crush its leaves and make paste, we can use that as soap.”

“Why do you even know something like that?”

“It doesn’t hurt to be prepared for everything. Like, I don’t know, some dumbass sinking my car into mud when that’s where I had most of my supplies.”

“You’re a dumbass if you brought soap with you when you were about to explore an ancient temple!”

“It helps if you have insect bites. Surely you knew that.”

The annoyed huff told him that no, Albert hadn’t known that. To be honest, he didn’t know much about camping out in the wilderness or what tricks to use to make survival easier. He was a city boy if Lupin had ever seen one.

Lupin had looked at satellite photos and maps of the area before they’d arrived. There was a small lake and a waterfall east from the path. They heard the rumble long before they arrived, but even though Lupin knew to expect it, the sight still left him staring for a moment. The lake was so small he could have probably thrown a stone to the opposite shore, but the water was falling down such a high cliff that he was sure it’d hurt to stand under it. Spray covered the surrounding area, and everywhere else the lake was circled by lush greenery and rocks. It was too loud to hear any birds.

“You sure there isn’t anything dangerous in there? Like piranhas?” Albert asked.

“I think piranhas live in rivers. And way further south.”

“You’re still getting into the water first. I don’t trust the wildlife around here.”

“Still shaky about the jaguar, huh?”

Lupin walked around the lake, balancing carefully on the wet rocks, until he got close to the waterfall and the plants that were growing right by it. He took as many leaves as he could fit into the pot and his pockets and made his way back to where Albert was waiting. He’d taken off his long coat and was sitting on a rock.

“You can help by tearing these into smaller bits,” Lupin told him and tossed the leaves at his feet. He went to find a stick for mashing everything into a paste and drummed it against the side of the pot as he waited. They’d gotten the loot, it was a great day in unspoiled nature, and he was still feeling relaxed from a good handjob. He couldn’t have asked for much more.

“We wouldn’t have to do these things if we didn’t take jobs in the middle of nowhere,” Albert said.

“Stop complaining. I’m doing most of the work anyway.”

Lupin tossed the torn leaves into his pot, added some water and began to grind them with his stick. It took effort, but he liked to think that having spent a lot of time in the kitchen all his life gave him something of an advantage. When he was done, they took off their clothes and did laundry in shallow water. It didn’t get anything clean, really, but Lupin was sure that once everything dried, they’d at least not smell like hell anymore.

“Not the coat?” he asked when Albert didn’t do anything with it.

“Getting it wet would just ruin it, but it might be a goner anyway. I doubt even dry-cleaning can do much about this.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you can find one just like it in some emo goth store.”

“Those are two different things.”

“Well, you’re the expert.”

They hung their clothes on tree branches to dry. Despite what he’d said earlier, Albert didn’t hesitate to get into the water and dunk his head into it. Lupin remained on shore and sat down on a rock so that only his calves were submerged. There were tiny bite marks on his feet, but the leeches were long gone. Some had gotten mashed inside his shoes, but he hoped most of them were enjoying their full bellies somewhere in the jungle.

“I wouldn’t get too deep if I were you,” he called out to Albert.

“Why not?”

Lupin pointed at the waterfall. “All that water has to go somewhere, so there’s probably an underground river. I can’t help you if you get sucked into it.”

The sound that left Albert was hilarious.

“And you couldn’t say that before?” he asked and waded back to shallower water.

“I thought it was obvious. For someone who’s in the running to be Lupin III, you’re pretty dumb.”

He was ready for whatever retort Albert would throw at his face, but instead of keeping the argument going, he grabbed some of the paste that remained and began to wash his hair with it. Lupin watched him, sensing an odd change in the air. Had he made him mad? Dumb was hardly the worst thing he’d called him.

Not sure where he should take the conversation, he got into the water as well and began to wash himself. He and Albert argued a lot, but it wasn’t serious. The only time he’d gotten Albert real mad had been when he’d tried to feel him up too soon after his first boyfriend - that Lupin knew of - had dumped him.

The two of them weren’t really together. Lupin had never kept it a secret that he wanted to roam free and love whoever caught his eye without having to feel guilty. Albert had boyfriends sometimes, and during those periods he didn’t want to sleep with him. Friends with benefits probably described them the best, though sometimes Lupin wished he could be worth more effort than a text that said, “I’m with someone now. Don’t come over.”

Then again, it was a hole he’d dug himself. These days, he often found himself wondering what Albert would say if he swore he wouldn’t sleep with anyone else if that was what he wanted, and how long it’d take before he broke that promise. It was good enough like this. It had to be.

“What’s got you so gloomy?” Albert asked, and Lupin realized he’d let everything show on his face.

“Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

“Me? I couldn’t be happier. We’re finally ready to get out of this godforsaken place.”

“Where do you want to go next?”

“Paris.”

“Huh? Isn’t that a little boring?”

“I have things to do there. You don’t have to come with me.”

“Oh? Now you’re making me interested,” Lupin said, hoping to lift the mood with his grin. He walked over to wrap an arm around Albert’s shoulder. “What treasure are you after? No, wait, don’t tell me. I’ll get to it first anyway!”

Albert sighed and grabbed Lupin’s wrist like he was about to hoist his arm away, but he held onto it instead. He turned around to face him, never letting go of him, and kissed him. That was a surprise, but even stranger was how soft it felt. It was barely a kiss, in Lupin’s opinion, more like he just wanted to graze his lips with his. They never did that sort of thing, and even as Lupin responded in kind, a strange feeling began to bubble inside him.

“You want another go at it?” he asked.

“We still have time, don’t we?”

“We’ll always have time! What have you got in mind?” Lupin scrunched his nose as he thought of something. “Too bad my condoms are all in that muddy pitch.”

Albert looked at him in disbelief. “You had those in your car, too?”

“Of course! I’m always prepared for everything! And this time, it would have paid off, too, what with you getting horny again out of nowhere. Want me to suck you off?”

The line of Albert’s mouth twitched, and Lupin caught a glimpse of it turning into a smile before he leaned close and embraced him. Lupin was expecting to get some good action any moment now, so he moved his hands to rest on Albert’s butt in anticipation.

But then Albert started laughing. Had it been their first time together, Lupin might have been insulted, but now he was only curious and a little bit worried. He didn’t move as Albert just stood there and held onto him as his laughter died down just as quickly as it had started. Maybe it was only now that the near death was really catching up with him.

“You okay? What’s so funny?”

“You never, ever change.”

Albert rested his forehead on Lupin’s shoulder, and Lupin wondered if he should pull him into a proper hug. Somehow, that seemed far more intimate than jerking him off earlier. He wasn’t sure what Albert would say to that. Lupin had tried to comfort him once after a bad break-up, but he hadn’t wanted it.

As Lupin was battling with himself, Albert decided that he’d gotten whatever was making him sway under control. 

“I changed my mind,” he said, let go of Lupin and hopped to shore. He walked over to his coat, dug a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from one of the pockets and sat down on a rock to have a smoke.

“Seriously? Just like that?” Lupin asked in dismay and followed Albert out of the water. “I bet you never wanted any at all. You just led me along as a joke!”

There was another rock, and he sat on it with a long-suffering sigh. He stretched out his hand and gestured for the cigarette in Albert’s mouth. Instead of sharing, Albert tossed him the pack so he could have his own.

“So, what’s the big deal?” Lupin asked.

“Nothing. I just decided I wasn’t in the mood.”

Lupin put a cigarette into his mouth and caught the lighter that Albert threw in his direction.

“Tch. Tease,” he said as he struggled with the lighter until he got a flame. But he wasn’t really disappointed, he decided after he got some smoke into his lungs. The day had been great.

“Do you want to stay at my camp for the night?” he asked. If he was right and Albert was just being moody because he’d almost gotten chopped in half, then this was no problem. Lupin would cook something decent with his meager supplies and let him sleep in his tent. He’d be back to normal in the morning. They didn’t have to talk about it.

“What’s the catch?” Albert was giving him a calculating look, no doubt wondering why Lupin would invite him and give him the perfect chance to grab the medallion at night.

He couldn’t say that he didn’t want to make him go to his own camp alone when he was feeling down. Saying that he wanted another chance to get into his pants might have gone just as badly.

“You have a car,” Lupin said matter-of-factly. “And I have a lot of stuff at my camp. I can’t carry it on foot. So you stay with me and give me and my things a ride tomorrow. My camp is closer, so we’ll just pick up your stuff on the way in the morning. Sound good?”

Albert agreed it made sense, and once their clothes were dry enough to wear, they made their way back to the car. The ride to Lupin’s camp took almost two hours, during which they didn’t speak much. Even Lupin was starting to feel tired after all that had happened, so he tried to get comfortable on the passenger seat and watched the jungle around them.

At the camp, he tossed some instant noodles and dried vegetables into a pot to boil. It was no gourmet meal by his standards, but he was sure it was more or less what Albert normally ate. He should have had his French citizenship revoked for how he could go weeks on nothing but take-out. Lupin had used to wish he’d find a boyfriend who could cook.

He’d picked up some clay and hidden it in his pocket at the lake. Albert wasn’t paying attention to him as he cooked, so he made a quick copy of the medallion and dried it off in the heat of the fire. It wouldn’t fool even a child, but if he wrapped it in a cloth and put it where he said he was keeping the real one, it’d do. Albert wouldn’t stop to look at it closely until he was safely gone with it.

It was almost dark by the time they started eating. The crackle of the fire and the sounds of the jungle around them were ominous enough that Lupin was glad he’d asked Albert to stay over. He hadn’t minded being alone the night before, but back then he hadn’t known there were supernatural guardians around the temple. He wondered if they shouldn’t have just kept driving through the night.

He pulled the medallion from his pocket and admired it in the little light they had.

“Not a bad day, huh?”

“How much do you think it’s worth?” Albert asked.

“That’s the first thing on your mind? Typical. But I don’t know. Could be a fortune, could be nothing.”

“Nothing? You mean, we came all the way here, sweated buckets and got covered in insect bites, and I almost died, and it might have been for _nothing?_ ”

Lupin was surprised by how much Albert’s voice rose in anger. That wasn’t typical. This was hardly the first time their job went like this, and he’d never had a problem before.

“We had fun, didn’t we?” he asked and began to wrap the medallion in a piece of fabric he found among his supplies. Albert watched him do it with a sour face and pushed his food around in the tin can that was serving as his bowl.

Lupin’s tent wasn’t meant for two people, so it felt stuffed when they both got inside. Despite it being night, it was hot enough that they peeled off most of their clothes and tried to find a way to position themselves so that there’d be as little skin touching skin as possible. It was uncomfortable and sticky, and Lupin was glad they’d taken a bath.

“This was a bad idea,” Albert muttered. His breath tickled Lupin’s neck.

“Then why don’t you get up and sleep outside the tent? I’ll let you have the blanket.”

“And be eaten first if something comes at us? No thanks.”

“I run faster, so you’ll be eaten first in any case. Except that I’m not the kind of guy who leaves his buddies behind, so it’s either a two-course meal together, or shooting the head off whatever is after us.”

Albert sighed through his nose. “Have you noticed that every conversation we have turns into a joke?”

Lupin was about to say that he wasn’t joking, hadn’t he already proved that he’d have Albert’s back if anything happened, but he got no chance to speak. He heard and felt Albert turn over to his back.

“Do you think this is how it’s always going to be?” Albert asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Getting yourself almost killed for a treasure that might not be worth anything, staying the night in a dinky hole like this, and not knowing where in the world you’re going to be next week?”

Lupin grinned in the dark. “You make it sound so terrible. Isn’t life the best when it’s unpredictable? I can’t get enough. I want to live like this forever.”

“Yeah, I figured you’d say that.”

“Cheer up. We’ll be back in Paris in a couple of days. You can take me clubbing,” Lupin said and covered his mouth with the back of his hand as a yawn washed over him.

Despite how uncomfortable it was, Lupin slept like a log through the night. He woke up to a feeling of being smothered and spent a couple of confused seconds wondering why it was so hot and why he could barely move. Albert had rolled half-way on top of him and pinned him down with his limbs, now making good progress with drooling all over Lupin’s chest in his sleep.

Love you, too, Lupin thought with a weary smile. It was tempting to just stay there, but he needed to pee, so he fought his way out of Albert’s grip, somehow managing not to wake him up.

It was dawn, and the sound of birds was already almost deafening. Lupin added his own happy voice to the choir as he skipped into the bushes to take a leak. When he came back, everything inside the tent remained unchanged, so he decided to let Albert sleep in while he made breakfast.

As he put on his clothes, he noticed that the fake medallion was still in his pocket. Had Albert noticed his ruse? He hurried to check his supplies and pulled out the pouch where he’d hidden the real one.

It was still there. Albert had made no attempt to swipe the treasure at night. Lupin clicked his tongue in disappointment and tossed the medallion back into his bag. He turned to glare at the tent, but he couldn’t stay annoyed when he saw one foot sticking out of it. Lupin had to resist the urge to go and tickle it.

“Bring your best game next time, okay? You know it’s no fun to win if the other side isn’t even playing.”


End file.
